Control valve



Feb. 13, 1951 R A ROCKWELL 2,541,176

CONTROL VALVE Filed Jan. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Snventor: i RALPH dRUCKWELL C30-M444. 1M (/u a. o. NL

(ttorneg,

Feb. 13, 1951 R. A. RocKwELl.

CONTROL VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 22, 1945 nnemtor:

HHLPH d. Roz/KWELL GM M LLL a :1^ HL Cftormeg.

if desirable results are to be obtained, the essen-v tial difference being that the centro guide stem common to the parabolic plug is omitted in order to reduce the plug diameter and therefore no adequate guide means is possible. It will be understood that if a valve plug is provided with a centro guide stem, the diameter of the plug must be sufficient to allow for the stem displacement if the valve is to operate at rated capacity, and therefore the surface area of the plug just below the seat is relatively large and the leakage factor is increased so that the graduated range of flow change is correspondingly reduced. In the valve herein disclosed, the port arrangement is such that suitable guide portions having adequate strength for the purpose may be provided by standard machine tool equipment, such as circle convex and V cutters or equivalent grind ers, and I regard this as one of the important features of my invention.

I am aware that valve plugs in the form of solid cylinders, variously ported, have been employed but, so far as known to me, the construc- Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views showing different steps in the manufacture ofthe valve plug.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are transverse sections showing the valve plug at diierent valve openings in its seat ring, the section of the seat ring in each view being taken on the line X-X of Fig. 3. A i

Having reference to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a control valve IIl which generally inmudes a valve body I IV, a bonnet I2, mounted on the valve body, and a combined intermediate member and diaphragm motor I3 mounted on the bonnet and adapted to function in a well-known manner, to be described, the 4motor being suitably operated by uid pressure, such as pressure directly controlled by the valve, or pressure as governed by a control mechanism conventionally illustrated in Fig. 2 by way of example of one form of control system in which the valve IIJ may be utilized. Y As illustrated in Fig. 2, the control valve IIJ is used to govern the temperature of liquid in a vessel I5 having a heating Vcoil Ivto which steam or other heating medium `may be supplied through a pipe Il in which the valve is mounted. The control mechanism may include a Bourdon tube I8 having a capillary connection I9 with a bulb 20 which is exposed to the temperature of l liquid in the vessel I5, the parts being filled with tion and arrangement of any of these valves is Y such that they are not only incapable of graduating iiuid flow over a wide range on an equalV provide regulating valves which may be produced 3.;

by practical methods and which may be characterized to vary fluid ilow Aon an equal percentage basis in respect to plug lift.

, vIt is an Vobject' of this invention to provide regulating valves which are capable of varying iiuid iioW over a wide range of flow change and at the same time of maintaining equal percentage lflow characteristics through the flow range. It is an object ofthis invention to provide regulating valves having an equal percentage flow characteristic wherein leakage flow in a position in which the valve is nearly closed is a small percentage of maximum flow. Y

And it is another object of this invention to provide regulating valves having an equal percentage flow characteristic including a valve plug Vhaving adequate guide portions combined with port areas which are ample to provide the flow capacity requirements of each valve size. Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical Vsection of a control valve embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of Va control system including the valve illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. Sis an enlarged view, partly in section, of the'valve plug and seat' ring, shown in Fig. l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6. are perspectives of the valve lplug as viewed from diierent angles.

expansible fluid in the usual manner. The Bourdon tube I8 has its free end-connected with a rotatably mounted shaft 2I by means of an-arm 22, and a second arm 23, secured tothe shaft and having a slidably` mounted blockV 24, is

adapted to engage the free-end of a ilapper 25 which is pivoted at 26 and is arranged to Vcooperate with an exhaust nozzle 2l. Operating iluid, such asair, may be supplied from a source Vnot shown at a fixed pressure to the nozzle Y2'I by means of a pipe 28 having the usual restriction 29, the capacity of which is less thanthat of the nozzle so that thenozz'le pressure in pounds per squarelinch is dependent on the relative position of the nozzle and flapper. As herein diagrammatically indicated, an increase of temperature at the bulb 2i) rotates the arm 23 counterclockwise to lower the apper 25 andincrease the nozzle pressure and a decrease in temperature has the opposite eiect.

A suitable' relay valve diagrammatically indicated at 30, connected with the nozzle pressure by means of a pipe 3| and with the supply line28 by means of a pipe 32, varies output pressure through a pipe 33 to the motor I3 of the control valve which operates in a manner to be described to vary the supply of heating medium to the coil I6 in the vessel. As herein shown the relay. valve 30 is arranged so that an4 increaseof pressure in the nozzle 2l provides a proportionalincrease of output pressure in the pipe 33 and vice versa.

, Liquid to be heated, such as water, may be supplied to the vessel I5 through an inlet 34 and may discharge therefrom at a selectedtemperature through an outlet 35 in quantities required by a source of demand, not shown.

Referring again to Fig. ,1, thevalve body I I may be Yof one standard size such as is customary to use for a plurality of vsizes of small valves, on the order of .1/8 to 3A, inclusive, .and may have an inlet connection 4B, an-outlet connection 4I and a partition wall42 which `serves to divide the interior of the valve body into inlet vand koutlet chambers 43 and 44, respectively. One side of the outlet chamber is defined by a detachablyconnected blank flange 45 and the' opposite side of theinletchamber 113` is closed bye. ange 4B which vdetachably.` connected with thevalve'body H and is herein shown as integral with the bonnet t2. A seat ringV 4'! is threaded `into a transverse opening in thepartition wall 42 and ,includes .a port de whichailords a fluid connection between the inlet and outlet chambers 43 and `ill-i, and a valve plug l? cooperates. withV the port to vary :fluid flowA through the valve body in a `manner more fully to be described.

The diaphragm motor i3 generally includes a fluid operating pressure chamber 5l one wall of which is 4defined by a flexible diaphragm 52, a stem 53 in operative connection with the diaphragm for actuating the valve plug 50 to be more fully described, and a spring 54 `acting on the diaphragm in opposition to fluid pressure in the chamber 5l. The spring 5ft is enclosed in a* housing 55 `and isrsupported at one end on'a lower spring button 5S which is threaded on an adjustment screw 57, the latter being threaded in turninto a suitable opening in a transverse partition 581er the housing. The other end of the spring 5d abuts an upper spring button 59 which engages the lowerend of a stem guide eslidably mounted in a lower diaphragm chamber member 6l', the upper end of the guide being `adapted to rest against a boss 52 of a diaphragm plate 63 at the 'lower side of the diaphragm 52. phragm 52 is clamped `at its periphery between the flanges of the .lower diaphragm chamber member iii and an upper diaphragm chamber member Gli, as by bolts 55, and the diaphragm stem 53 extends through a central bore in the stem guide @il and makes a sliding t through a correspondingly disposed bore in the adjustment screw 5l. The upper end of thehousing 55 is flanged at 65 and secured to the lower diaphragm chamber-Eil by studs 67, and the lower endof the housing isrreceived over `an extension 6B on the bonnet l2 and is clamped against -a shoulder 69 on the bonnet by means of a locknutflll. Fluid under pressure may be supplied` to the diaphragm chamber 5I through a connection 'll into which the pipe 33 is threaded and may be governed by the control mechanism in the manner described above, or be suppliedjfrom any selected-source as will be understood by those skilled in the art. A suitable means forlimitingthe diaphragm to a selected range of over-all. movement may be provided. A washer '52, which restsona boss "i3 of theV lower diaphragm chamber member dl' and makesl a sliding iitwi-th the stern guide 553, is adapted to be engaged bythe plate boss 62 Vto limit the downward movement of` the diaphragm, and the. upper springv button 59 is adapted to engage a lowersurfaceldr of the diaphragm chamber .5I to limit the upward movement of 'the diaphragm.

The valveplug 5d is. in operativeconnection with the diaphragm .stem 53 by means of a valve stem .'55 which at one end is threaded and pinned at i6 to the valve plug andatithe other end is threaded into the lower end ofthe .diaphragm stein 53 and is secured thereto bylocknuts Ti. The valve stein l5 extends through a suitable bore disposed axially in the bonnet I2, leakage around the'stem being prevented by the usual packing '18, gland 'i9 and follower nut 8E) which is threaded over the bonnet extension I'2. As herein shown, the valve is adapted to close on an increaseof operating pressure in the diaphragm chamber,v 5l. When the diaphragm pressure increases.. `the valve, plug 50 is moved ,downagainstthelforce The da- 6 exerted 'by thewspring 54"until' the diaphragm plate boss '62 engages the .washer'l or, untilthe parts come to .balancel at an intermediate position; Vand as the operating pressure decreases, the valve plug `is raised by the spring until the upper spring button 59 engages the lower surface 'I4 of the member 6lunless the parts again come to balance at some intermediate position. It will be understood that the pounds per square inch pressure change required to operate the diaphragm 52 throughout its stroke is determined by the eective diaphragm area, the over-al1 range of diaphragm movement and the characteristic of the spring 54, and that the initial spring loading or position of the band of operat ing pressurewchange within the spring range is determined by the adjustment screw 5l.

Since, as outlined above, the fluid pressure in diaphragm chamber 5l may vary proportionally with a change ,in the temperature of the liquid in the vessel I5, and since the valve lift is linear with the pressure change, the eiect of a change in iiuid low resulting from a change in pressure is` dependent on the ow characteristic of the valve plug 5d. If the flow change is linear with pressure change, the same quantity now change occurswfor each unit of pressure change throughout the plug lift, and therefore the eiTect of each unit of pressure change at wider valve openings for comparatively large iiuid flows under high-er load demands is less than the effect of a unit of pressure change at smaller valve openings for comparatively small fluid flows under lesser load demands. On the other hand, if the valve plug varies huid ilow on an equal percentage basis in respect to plug lift, the effect of each unit of pressure change is the same throughout the valve lift and therefore the control effect of a unit change in liquid temperature is substantially the same throughout the range of temperature change or, in other words, the control sensitivity is substantially uniform over the entire control range'. And, as pointed out above, this principle applies whether large or small control valves are required to take care of the process demands. Recognizing this principle and with a view to meeting the requirements of control suited to small valves, a control valve embodying this invention is provided which is practical for construction in sizes less than one inch and which may be characterized to vary iiuid iiow on an equal percentage basis over a wide range of flow change with substantially accurate results.

Referring again to the drawings and particu' larly to Fig. 3, the valve plug 5l? may be machined from a solid piece of stock. It includes a plugshoulder ill having a bevelled seat 8l adapted to cooperate with a corresponding bevelled seat 52 on the seat ring di', a cylindrical shank 83 of reduced diameter for attachment to the valve stem 35, and a cylinder portion 84 for governing fluid flow. The shank 33 is herein shown as integral with the plug shoulder and is threaded to receive the valve stem and pinned at 'l5 as shown in Fig. 1 and described above. The'cylinder portion Sd is also integral withythe plug shoulder and extends therefrom into the bore or port 48 of the seat ring fill, the wall 85 of said portion being in parallel with the wall B5 of the seat ring port and adapted to make a practical working lit therewith, allowing for machining tolerances and for expansion and. contraction of materials caused by temper ature changes. It has` been found that apra@- 'tical working clearance between* the wall 85 of the cylinder portion and the Wall 86 of the port rpermits a uid flow amounting substantially to 2% of the valve capacity when the valve is just off its seat. It will be understood that this portion of the fluid ow, which may be termed leakage flow, is impractical to graduate and for this reason the rate of change of ow on an equal pencentage basis starts with the leakage flow and is graduated to give maximum iiow at maX- Vimum plug lift or, in other words, rate flow at rated plug lift. Therefore, it is important that the leakage flow is reduced to a small percentage of maximum now if fluid flow is to be graduated over a Wide range of flow change.

Referring to Figs. Vl to 9, inclusive, the port arrangement of the valve plug illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 is therein more clearly shown. The ports, which are dened by recesses or grooves in the cylinder portion 84 of the valve plug and by the wall 86 of the seat ring, are three in number as indicated at A, B and C, respectively, and are disposed about the cylinder axis, shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 at 31 by a broken line, with their longitudinal center lines in planes radial to said axis and spaced at intervals of 120. For convenience, recess A may be termed a maximum flow port, recess B a maximum-medium now port, and recess C a maximum-medium-minimum flow port. Referring particularly to Fig. 4, recess A has a concave bed 81 and straight side walls 88 disposed in parallel with each other and with the axis 31 of the valve plug 58. The recess bed 81 is semi-circular in cross section and is of arcuate shape in longitudinal section so that it may be formed by a standard circle convex cutter or equivalent grinder 90 as indicated in Fig. '1. Recess VA may be milled before recesses B and C, in which case it intersects the side wall 85 of the cylinder portion at a point 9| (see Fig. 7) and intersects the end wall SZ of said portion at a point 93 so that a line 8d, shown dotted, which is tangential to the arc of the median line of the :bed 81 at the point 9|, is at a relatively large angle to the axis 31 andV to the wall 85 of the plug.

The maximum-medium flow recess B (see Figs. 5 and 8) comprises a maximum flow portion 95 and an intersecting medium now portion 95. The portion 95 is disposed in the'cylinder portion 84 in a position similar to recess A but at an angle of A120" thereto and is adapted to be milled by a'circle convex cutter similar to that shown at 90 in Fig. 7 so that it also has a ccncave bed and has straight side walls |06 in parallel With the cylinder axis and intersects Vthe said axis as indicated. rIhe medium now portion 95 is an extension of the maximum iiow portion 95 and has a V shaped bed which is disposed in the bed of the maximum flow portion 85 and divides a part Yof the bed into side portions 91 and 98 which are arc shaped in cross section. The V shaped bed of the medium new portion 96 may be formed by a milling operation by means of a standard V cutter 38 shown in Fig. 8 and is provided with sides 99 which are inclined to one another and intersect at a bottom line |0| of the recess. As shown in Fig. 8, the bottom line im of the recess portion lies in a plane radial to the axis 31 of the valve member and inclined at an angle to that axis which angle is less than the angle formed with the axis by the tangential line 94, referred to above. The bottom line |0| intersects t-he side wall 85 at a point |02 which may be spaced substantially half the distance from the valve seat 8| that the point of intersection 9| of recess A is spaced from said seat. Y

The maximum-medium-minimum flow recess C (see Figs. 6 and 9) also comprises two portions, namely, a maximum flow portion |03 and a combined medium and minimum flow portion |04. The maximum iiow portion |03 is adapted to be formed by a circle convex cutter shown at in Fig. '1 and is positioned in the cylinder portion 84 in a manner similar to recessA and to the portion of recess B, but at an angle of thereto. The median line of the concave bed of the maximum flow portion |03 intersects the bed portions of recesses A and B at the axis 31 of the Valve plug and this portion of recess C is also provided with straight side walls |01 which are in Vparallel with the valve plug axis. The medium-minimum flow portion |04 of recess C may be formed by a V cutter shown at 93 in Fig. 9 as an extension to the maximum iiow portion |03 and has side Walls |08 inclined to one another and intersecting at the bottom line ||0. The bottom lineY ||0 lies in a plane radial to the axis 31 of the valve plug andV is inclined to that axis at an angle which is lessV than the angle formed by the bottom line |0| with said axis. The bottom line ||0 is so disposed in relation to the axis that one end of the bottom line intersects the side wall 85 of the cylinder portion at a point which may be substantially at the edge ||2 of the seat 8i.

The other end of the bottom line intersects thel Fig. 3, the guide portions l5 are suiiciently long to extend well into the port 48 of the Seat ring when the `valve plugV 50 is fully open and provide ample surfaces, equally distributed around the wall 86 of the seat'ring, for guiding thevalve plug throughout its entire stroke.-

By reference to Figs. 10, 11 and 12 the port areas in transverse section provided at various valve plug positions may be visualized and serve to illustrate how the construction herein described lends itself to a change of port area with respect to plug lift. In Fig. 10 the valve plug 50 is shown at a position of lift exposing a part of recess C only. In Fig. 11 the valve plug is shown at a position of lift exposing parts of recesses C and B only. And in Fig. 12 the valve plug is'shown at maximum lift, the combined areas of recesses A, B and C, serving Vto provide the maximum flow capacity of the valve.

By this combination of intersecting U shaped and V shaped recesses, fluid flow may be readily graduated on an equal percentage basis in respect ferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that'fcihanges` may be made without departing-fromthe spirit ofmy invention-as set forth in the appended claims. 4

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newtlrere'inand 'desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a valve for regulating liuid flow on an equal percentage basis in respect to valve liitcomprising a body having a port,` the combination 'With reciprocating means, of a valve plug actuated by* said means including a cylinder slidably mounted in said port having a plurality of recesses disposed. radiallyabout the cylinder axis with guide portionstherebetween, said recesses intersecting at one end1 and extending to ther .cylinder wall at the other end,'a `first and second of said recesses each having a bed portion disposed at a relatively wide angle te said axis, a third of said recesses having a V-shaped bed portion disposed at a lesser angle to the said axis, and one of said rst and second recesses having a V-shaped extension disposed in the bed portion at a still lesser angle to the said axis, the combined cross-sectional area of said recesses as delined by their walls and by the wall of said port varying axially of said cylinder substantially on an equal percentage flow graduation basis in respect to valve lift.

2. In a iluid flow regulating valve including a body having a port, a valve plug comprising a cylinder slidably mounted in said port and having a plurality of flow recesses disposed radially about the cylinder axis and extending from the side wall to the end wall thereof with guide portions therebetween, a iirst and second of said recesses each having a bed portion disposed at a relatively wide angle to the cylinder axis, a third of said recesses having a V-shaped bed portion disposed at a lesser angle to the cylinder axis, and one of said first and second recesses having a V-shaped extension disposed in the bed portion at a still lesser angle to the cylinder axis, the combined cross-sectional area of said recesses as dened by their walls and by the wall of said port varying axially of said cylinder on an equal percentage ilovv graduation basis in respect to valve lift.

3. In a uid ilow regulating valve including a valve body having a port, a plurality of flow recesses disposed radially about the cylinder axis and extending from the side wall to the end wall thereoi` with guide portions therebetween, said recesses each having a concave bed portion disposed at a relatively wide angle to the cylinder axis, one of said recesses having a V-shaped extension disposed in the concave bed portion at a lesser angle to the cylinder axis, and another oi said recesses having a V-shaped extension disposed in the concave bed portion at a still lesser angle to the cylinder axis, the combined crosssectional area of said recesses as dened by their walls and by the wall cf said port varying axially of the cylinder substantially on an equal percentage flow graduation basis in respect to valve lift.

4. In a fluid flow regulating valve including a valve body having a port, a valve plug comprising a cylinder having a portion slidably engaging the wall of said port and including a plurality of flow recesses radially disposed about the cylinder axis and extending from the cylinder side wall to an end thereof, the bed of one of said recesses meeting the cylinder side wall at a selected angle thereto and at a selected spacing from one end o the cylinder wall engaging portion, at least a Y stantiahyatsaid end of the cylinder wall engag- `ingfporti'on'fthe v-shaped bed portion of at least oneof the `two last mentioned recesses intersecting the remaining vbed portion thereof, and the combined cross-sectional area of said 'recesses asfdelined bytheir walls and bythe wall of said port varying axially of sind cylinder substantially onan' edual percentage -flowf'graduation basis in respect to valve lift.

5y cylindrical valve member adapted to be slidably mounted in a valve port to graduate liuid flow through the valve, three equally spaced ilow recesses disposed radially about the cylinder axis and extending from the side wall of the cylinder to the end wall thereof with guide portions therebetween, each of said recesses having an arcuate bed portion with its median line intersecting the cylinder axis, a continuation of an arc of said bed portion at one side of said axis intersecting the geometrical lateral surface of the cylinder and a continuation of the arc of said bed portion at the other side of said axis intersecting a geometrical base of said cylinder, a rst intersecting bed portion extension gradually increasing in cross-sectional area from the cylinder side wall to one of said arcuate bed portions, and a second intersecting bed portion extension gradually increasing in cross-sectional area from said side Wall to another of said arcuate bed portions, at least a part of each of said arcuate bed portions meeting said side wall at a relatively wide angle thereto, one of said rst and second extensions meeting said side wall at a lesser angle thereto and the other of said extensions meeting the side wall at a still lesser angle thereto.

6. In a cylindrical valve member adapted to be slidably mounted in a valve port to graduate fluid flow through the valve, a plurality of U-shaped flow recesses disposed radially about the cylinder axis at a relatively wide angle thereto with guide portions therebetween, said recesses intersecting at one end and extending to the side wall of the cylinder at the other end, one of said recesses having a V-shaped extension disposed at a lesser angle to the cylinder axis, and another of said recesses having a V -shaped extension disposed at a still lesser angle to the cylinder axis, the combined cross-sectional areas of said recesses as dened by their walls and the wall of said port varying axially of said cylinder substantially on an equal percentage flow graduation basis in respect to valve lift.

7. In a uid flow regulating valve including a valve body having a port provided with a seat, a valve plug comprising a cylinder slidably engaging the Wall of said port and having a seat at one end of the wall engaging portion cooperating with the port seat, said cylinder having three flow recesses bedded therein centered in planes radial to the cylinder axis and extending from the cylinder side wall to the end nonadiacent to the plug seat with guide portions therebetween, the bed of one of said recesses and a portion of the bed of the remaining recesses being concave in cross section and intersecting at the cylinder axis at corresponding angles thereto, the concave bed of said; first mentioned recess meeting the basis in respect to valve cylinderwallengaging portion at a selected angle thereto and at a selected spacing Vfrom the cylinder seat,'a portion of the bed of one of'said 'last' mentioned recesses being V-shaped Yincross section and meeting the cylinder "wall engaging portion at a lesser angle Athereto and at substantially one'half'the last mentioned spacing from .the said plug seat, and a-portion of the bed Vof the other of said remaining recesses being :v-shaped in cross 'section and meeting the cylin- .der wall engaging portion at a still lesser angle 'thereto and substantially at the said plug seat,

the combined cross-sectional area of said recesses asv dened by their Walls and by the Wall of said port varying axially of said cylinder substantially on an equalpercentage iiow graduation lift. f RALPH A. ROCKWELL.

.12 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordfin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

